Wichita eagle., 1887-10-18
IN THE CELLAR


was in the hands of the Federals
Among the few citizens remaining IL
the captured stronghold was Henry Gates
When his friends fed from the plac,
| Gates refused to go. His wife had beer
killed by shell during the siege, and b,
| no longer felt interested In anything
''If they will let me alone" he said, al,
Is all ask. am going to shut myself
up here at home, and nobody will be both
cred by me.''
But il was not an easy matter for Gates
to live undisturbed in his big house. The
Federal soldiers could not resist the temp.
tation to help themselves TO everything tina,
struck their fancy. Gates gloomy res..
Gence, standing at some distance from the
other houses, attracted their attention.
The servants had left the city with the
Confederates, and as Gates never showed
himself, the looters were under the Inn
preston that the place was deserted.
One day several stout fellows rushed In
and stripped the garden. They pulled up
the corn, tomatoes, cabbages, turnips and
beans, and left the ground perfectly bare.
Then they invaded the back lot and car.
ried Off q cow and calf.
The owner Of the property watched
these proceedings from window, and
silently nursed his wrath.
But this was only the beginning. In
an clubhouse two bales Of cotton and some
tobacco had been stored. Gates had made
the investment thinking that if the city
was captured he would be able to turn
the cotton and tobacco into greenbacks
Naturally, his indignation was unbounded
when he woke up one morning and found
crowd of soldiers loading his hidden
treasure into an army wagon.
He ran out Of the house and remon-
strated wildly with the robbers, but they
merely laughed at him. Finally two Of
the men tied him to q tree and gagged
him. Then they jumped into the wagon
and drove off. In o little while Gates
tore himself loose. He went into tho
house and locked the doors.
AS the day wore ON he worked himself
Into fury.
''ife Is not worth living" he said, "if
/ must submit to these outrages. u
can't have my rights I'll have blood!"
He spent some time looking through
the house, and at last he found an old
bowie knife. With smile of satisfaction
he seized the murderOus weapon, and the
next hour or two was spent in whetting
it, and he did not lay it aside until it was
as sharp as a razor.
NOW let them comer' he muttered.
At late hour that night Gates was
awakened by noise in one of the lower
rooms. Leaping from his bel, he took
his knife and glided down stairs. The
moonlight enabled him to see every object
In his way.
When he reached the foot Of the stairs
he paused to listen. He could not be mis-
taken. He heard the sound of shutting
feet IN back room. Turning the door
knob quietly he ran against q burly ruff
fan in blue.
"For Gods saker' said the soldier,
when he saw the appraised knife.
His appeal was useless. Once, twice,
thrice tlE deadly steel descended, and the
victim fell with the death rattle in his
throat!
Gates reeled back half stunned when he
saw what he had done. All his life he
bad been a man Of peace. 1t was an
awful sight to see that white, dead face
with the staring eyes.
The slayer had 10 time to lose. He
closed the window through which tho In
truder had entered, and then began to
1t would not do to stand the consequences
of his act. He could not hope for justice.
The Federals would kill him without q
trial.
In an instant his plan was matured.
He lifted the dead man by the shoulders
and dragged him down into the cellar.
ment of the body. The work of walling
4 nj . e, l~.I IL
during the siege, and the floor was Uttered
with fragments OF granite and other ma
terial left by the masons.
The. body was carefully deposited IN =
corner, and Gates struck a match, but at
once extinguished It. He went to work
In the dark, and In less than ten minutes
he had covered the Gfeless heap in tho
corner with pile Of rubbish.
There was no moro sleep that night for
Gates. He wandered from room to room,
and planning. When morning
came he looked into o mirror and gave O
cry of horror. His face was pinched and
and his hair, so black and glossy
the day before, was threaded with grayi
IL
The long day Of anxiety and terror
came to TN end, but Gates had found it
impossible to do anything. So many sol
aiers were moving about that he was
afraid to 90 TO work in the cellar. He
went down several times and made lot
Of mortar, and got everything IN readiness
for his nights work.
He had decided to finish the cellar wall
1t the end that had been left unco1n-
pleted and behind the wall lie would
hide the body. When the job was done
ne would feel secure.
At midnight he saw that the doors a3d
windows were barred and fastened. In
the cellar he covered the single grating
hat ventilated it, and placed his lamp in
I convenient position.
The next thing to do was to remove the
body. Gates pulled away the rubbish
Ind peered into the dark corner, A puz-
lied look came over his face, and, painting
.or breath, with his heart leapiny into his
mouth, be seized the lamp and looked
lsain.
Before him lay the man he had killed,
md by his side was stretched another |
lead mGa, a soldier Ike the other, and !
lis breast showed three CHASTITY woundsi |
Gates felt his limbs give way under |
hin, and his brain was In . whirl.
When he came to hts senses be had 70 |
'e!ight his lamp. lie looked at his watch /
md found that bis fan:ing Git had lasted |
half an hour.
Half crazei as he was, there Was more |
necessity than ever for his work. He 1
COX drink from his brandy flask and /
started IN Ike giant 4 place was hol-
owed in tbs earth, and tie two bodies /
we're damned In. Then block after block /
4 granite was laid and The mortar waS 1
avishly applied
Tie frantic man seemed to be gifted |
nth supe-huraa energy. By daylight |
be Knrk Was finished The delria Eza